Gifts For Jesus

Gifts for Jesus

Matthew 2:1-12

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

This sermon is available on the above website in Word, PDF, audio and a live video

What gift can one give to Jesus on His birthday? You think shopping for spouse, children, other relatives and friends of our North American, rich culture is difficult; what do you give to Jesus who is the Creator and Sustainer of all life (Colossians 1:15-16)? While He needs nothing from us (Acts 17:25), His heart’s desire is that we might be born again (John 3:1-21) and worship Him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), full of love and unspeakable joy (1 Peter 1:8-9) that comes from an obedient heart (John 14:21). What keeps Christians from worshiping Him in both Spirit and truth (John 4:24) at Christmas is the mistaken belief that Jesus can be fooled into accepting our “dirty rags” or “masks” of accumulated knowledge and “ritual” acts of service as being acceptable gifts for Him on His birthday! This sermon is going to contrast the motives of King Herod, the priests and teachers of the law with that of the Magi and in doing so conclude that what Jesus truly wants on His birthday is the symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh!

True Worship Means Being a Living Sacrifice

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”

Even though millions of Christmas cards show three kings presenting gifts to Jesus whom is lying in a manger this far from the truth. While the Magi could have been kings (Psalms 72:10, Isaiah 49:7), they were most likely “wise men,” a priestly caste of astrologers who served in the royal courts of Persia. Based on the long journey from region of Babylon to Bethlehem being about 900 miles and the fact that Herod ordered the children two years and younger to be executed, when the Magi arrived Jesus was in a house and was about two years of age. The origin of the star and the worship motives of these Magi are not known with certainty. While the star could have been a natural phenomenon such as light from Jupiter coming close to Saturn in the Sign of the Fishes in 7 BC or the light from a supernova or comet, the fact that the star appears, reappears, directs and stands still over Bethlehem seems to indicate the star was a miraculous appearance of an angel or some sort of Shekinah glory. While many commentators believe the Magi did not worship Jesus as deity, the fact that they came from Persia that touted to have the “king of all kings,” had contact with Jewish prophesy, traveled many miles and obeyed the angel of the Lord to go another route home; seems to point to their visit being more than just paying homage to a foreign king.

It is not the religious elite of Jerusalem but the Magi that pay homage to Jesus. How ironic it is that those who professed to know and love God would barely take the time to read the prophesy while the supposed “pagan” Magi with their limited knowledge were willing travel 900 miles to bow and worship their true king! If we living sacrifices are to worship Jesus in Spirit and truth this Christmas, then we need to be ready (1 Peter 3:15) to pay homage to Jesus by serving Him whenever and whatever He commands us to do! This might mean feeding or clothing the poor, visiting someone sick or in prison, giving money to a family or charity, inviting someone into our home, mourning with someone who lost a loved one or telling someone about Jesus! Surely having been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and having every breath granted to us by our Lord (Acts 17:25) would be enough incentive to serve Him with all our heart, mind and soul (Matthew 22:37) and with thanksgiving in our hearts (Psalms 9:1) … especially for His birthday!

True Worship Requires Allegiance to Jesus

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

The sudden arrival of foreign dignitaries asking to meet the one born “king of the Jews” soon got the attention of the ruling elite. Herod whom was an Edomite and made king by Rome would not tolerate the emergence of a “genuine descendant of the royal line of David as a claimant to the throne!” It is not that Herod believed or feared the sovereignty of Jesus but the possibility of the people seeing Him as universal king that was about to usher in an anticipated age of peace and prosperity. All of Jerusalem, specifically the religious and political leadership, were disturbed by Jesus’ birth for they feared Herod’s violent reaction to such news and the possibility of losing power should a new king take over. Herod assembled all the religious authorities whom knew the Scripture, the chief priests and teachers of the law, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born? These “experts came up with a speedy reply” quoted from Micah 5:2 and an allusion to 2 Samuel 5:2: the Messiah would be born in the same city as King David, the small village of Bethlehem, and He would exercise dominion and shepherd His people Israel.